By Stephanie Starks | Staff Writer
College comes with plenty of expenses, but Baylor students do not have to figure out their finances alone. The Paul L. Foster Success Center offers free peer coaching to help students set financial goals, understand their spending habits and build healthy money-management skills.
Student Money Management Coaching is a free service available to all undergraduate students at Baylor. Students can book sessions to discuss their personal finance goals, review their current financial situation with a peer coach and have their questions answered.
A student’s personal finances can affect their ability to handle expenses, avoid debt and maintain long-term financial health. According to a 2026 WalletHub survey, 46% of college graduates said they did not feel prepared for financial independence after college.
Jason Rounke, program manager for Financial Wellness at the Success Center, said the program gives students an opportunity to learn about personal finance from peers who have received professional certification.
“The goal is to give Baylor students an opportunity to connect with other students who have been certified through FinCert, a nationally recognized personal finance certification,” Rounke said. “It can be easier for students to talk with a peer to learn about how to improve their finances.”
Students can book an appointment with a peer coach through the Navigate app. After selecting the “Appointments” icon, students can choose “Financial Wellness” as the appointment type.
Rounke compared financial wellness to physical wellness, saying both require students to understand and maintain healthy habits.
“In order to feel good physically, you need to be able to get enough rest and be active on a regular basis,” he said. “If you do not do those things, you will not feel good physically. It is the same thing with personal finances.
Financial habits may take time to develop, Rounke said, but learning how to manage money can help students in the long run.
“Students typically know not to spend money that they do not have, but there are some things that may not be as intuitive as physical wellness,” Rounke said. “We are here to make sure that students learn and build healthy financial habits around their personal finances.”
Rounke said learning to manage money can also help students focus on their education.
“Learning how to manage their personal finances enables students to get the education that God has called them to Baylor to get,” Rounke said.
Dr. Eric Davidson, a clinical assistant professor of finance, said students’ spending habits can reflect their priorities.
“Money reflects what is important to us in life,” Davidson said. “Our goals, dreams, and aspirations all influence where we spend our money. Managing it well is a part of that.”
Davidson encouraged students to pay attention to where their money goes and take control of their spending.
“Watch where the money goes,” he said. “Students should challenge themselves to not overpay for food delivery and to track what they are paying for. It is vital for students to control their money rather than their money to control them.”
San Diego senior Charlotte Dodds, a peer coach at the Success Center, said working with other students has also helped her develop better financial habits.
“Working as a peer coach has helped me get my own finances in line,” she said. “Teaching other students managing habits is super motivating for me to do the same because I want to practice what I preach.”
Dodds said peer coaches can offer students a perspective they may not receive elsewhere.
“When students leave their appointment, they find that they have habits that are making it really hard to reach their financial goals,” Dodds said. “By meeting with a peer coach who sees students all the time, students can gain insight that they may have not had otherwise.”
